Mixed salad with toasted seeds and a mint dressing

   Last winter, my daughter's senior was to come home for lunch. She informed me at the last moment and I had very little time to prepare an elaborate menu. The good thing was that our kitchen garden was in full bloom at that time. So to add some colour to the table and a slightly filling side, I randomly threw available vegetables together. This was also the time when flaxseed was a new found obsession in our household, given its numerous health benefits. So I used it too. 

   The gentleman really liked the salad and so, even though I didnt pay much attention to details while I was creating the salad, I tried making it again a few times to create a more tasty and healthy snack/dish. The final outcome, which we all relished is the one I am sharing here. Fellow bloggers are putting up some gorgeous dishes on their blogs, all of which can be checked out at the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#58.

Ingredients:

• Cooked Rajma (red beans) : 2 tablespoons
• Shredded red & white cabbage: 1/4 cup
• Boiled & julienned beetroot:1/4 cup
• Chopped cucumber:1/4 cup
• Grated carrot:1/4 cup
• Coarsely ground flax seeds: 2 teaspoons
• Roasted, coarsely ground til / sesame  seeds: 1 teaspoon

Dressing

• Til (sesame) oil: 2 teaspoons
• Lime juice: 1 teaspoon
• Salt, pepper & oregano to taste
• mint leaves - 5 to 6 torn by hand

Method

• Prepare the dressing by whisking the  dressing ingredients together nicely.
• Put all the vegetables in a large bowl except the beetroot.
• Pour the dressing over the vegetables. Mix lightly. 
• Just before serving, add the beetroot, ground flax and til seeds to the vegetables. Give it a good toss.
• To garnish, you can sprinkle a few whole roasted til seeds on top. 
• Serve immediately. 

Couldnt resist adding another photo - it was a beautiful sunny winter afternoon here and setting this snack up in our little rose garden for pictures was the highlight of the day:)